ibustinside
New member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2016
- Messages
- 2
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- VA
- City
- Mclean
Hi everyone. Some background info before we start:
I am 30 year old male. I have been diagnosed in the past with:
Spina Bifida Occulta
Scoliosis (30 degree curve in Lumbar and 49 in Cervical region of spine)
Sensorimotor OCD related to swallowing and breathing
Testicular cancer which was diagnosed at the age of 17. Tumor was removed and I did not need any radiation or chemotherapy.
Epstein-Barr Virus I have tested positive for mono on 3 separate occasions in my adult life
I have never had any issues with any of the spine disorders and my OCD has been under control (for the most part) through the use of SSRIs for the last 10 years.
The beginning:
August 2015 - I was suffering from what I perceived was a case of mono (I did not have health insurance at the time so I did not want to pay for blood tests to confirm my suspicion). I was fatigued, lymph nodes were swollen, and had cramps on side. During this time period, I was involved in a head-on-collision and was treated for minor whiplash and a concussion.
Now, I cannot remember when the muscle fasciculations and numbness started. Was it before the accident or after? I have racked my brain countless times but that whole month was like a blur to me. With my grandmother dying 2 weeks after the accident as well, I was not in the best emotional shape. The onset of the fasciculations happened equally in all 4 limbs. People pointed out that they could see my bicep or calf twitching when I was sitting on the couch. The numbness and tingling began at this time as well. Mostly below the knee, with an emphasis in the ankle, and in the wrists.
December 2015: Went to see my primary doctor. She ran every blood test in the book and found nothing wrong with me. Lyme, HIV, Vitamin B12, etc. She diagnosed me with Paresthesia and recommended I go to a Neurologist.
March 2016: The neurologist does his various in office tests. Finds that my strength is normal. Notices that I have brisk reflexes but says that it could be normal as I have a lot of strange genetic problems. The fasciculations at this point were less severe and my main symptom was the numbness. Suggests that I get an MRI of the brain due to my history of cancer and other genetic disorders. MRI of the brain comes back normal.
July 2016: Go back to the neurologist. Orders an EMG of the legs where most of the numbness was occurring. Found a pinched nerve in the left thigh. He said that it seemed like an old injury and did not think it would account for my symptoms. Other than that, it was a CLEAN EMG.
Here there were some issues with my insurance. My neurologist wanted to start ruling out different things by getting MRIs of my back. Since my symptoms were in my lower legs, he wanted to do a lumbar one first.
October 2016 Finally got the MRI of the lumbar spine. It came back NORMAL. However, when getting an in office check up with the neurologist, he noticed that my reflexes were more brisk than before and that I had developed Babinski's sign in one foot. He seemed a little bit worried and immediately wanted me to get a Thoracic and Cervical MRI. I am going next Wednesday and I have been freaked out ever since I started googling the Babinski sign and reading about all the diseases that it is associated with.
Question: Does this sound like ALS in any way? Thank you for reading my short novel. My numbness has not really progressed much further since December of last year, however I have noticed it closer to my knees and elbows in the last month. I have also had fasciculations in the past 2 weeks down my left leg and through my urethra. Unsure if related. I appreciate your time and your feedback.
I am 30 year old male. I have been diagnosed in the past with:
Spina Bifida Occulta
Scoliosis (30 degree curve in Lumbar and 49 in Cervical region of spine)
Sensorimotor OCD related to swallowing and breathing
Testicular cancer which was diagnosed at the age of 17. Tumor was removed and I did not need any radiation or chemotherapy.
Epstein-Barr Virus I have tested positive for mono on 3 separate occasions in my adult life
I have never had any issues with any of the spine disorders and my OCD has been under control (for the most part) through the use of SSRIs for the last 10 years.
The beginning:
August 2015 - I was suffering from what I perceived was a case of mono (I did not have health insurance at the time so I did not want to pay for blood tests to confirm my suspicion). I was fatigued, lymph nodes were swollen, and had cramps on side. During this time period, I was involved in a head-on-collision and was treated for minor whiplash and a concussion.
Now, I cannot remember when the muscle fasciculations and numbness started. Was it before the accident or after? I have racked my brain countless times but that whole month was like a blur to me. With my grandmother dying 2 weeks after the accident as well, I was not in the best emotional shape. The onset of the fasciculations happened equally in all 4 limbs. People pointed out that they could see my bicep or calf twitching when I was sitting on the couch. The numbness and tingling began at this time as well. Mostly below the knee, with an emphasis in the ankle, and in the wrists.
December 2015: Went to see my primary doctor. She ran every blood test in the book and found nothing wrong with me. Lyme, HIV, Vitamin B12, etc. She diagnosed me with Paresthesia and recommended I go to a Neurologist.
March 2016: The neurologist does his various in office tests. Finds that my strength is normal. Notices that I have brisk reflexes but says that it could be normal as I have a lot of strange genetic problems. The fasciculations at this point were less severe and my main symptom was the numbness. Suggests that I get an MRI of the brain due to my history of cancer and other genetic disorders. MRI of the brain comes back normal.
July 2016: Go back to the neurologist. Orders an EMG of the legs where most of the numbness was occurring. Found a pinched nerve in the left thigh. He said that it seemed like an old injury and did not think it would account for my symptoms. Other than that, it was a CLEAN EMG.
Here there were some issues with my insurance. My neurologist wanted to start ruling out different things by getting MRIs of my back. Since my symptoms were in my lower legs, he wanted to do a lumbar one first.
October 2016 Finally got the MRI of the lumbar spine. It came back NORMAL. However, when getting an in office check up with the neurologist, he noticed that my reflexes were more brisk than before and that I had developed Babinski's sign in one foot. He seemed a little bit worried and immediately wanted me to get a Thoracic and Cervical MRI. I am going next Wednesday and I have been freaked out ever since I started googling the Babinski sign and reading about all the diseases that it is associated with.
Question: Does this sound like ALS in any way? Thank you for reading my short novel. My numbness has not really progressed much further since December of last year, however I have noticed it closer to my knees and elbows in the last month. I have also had fasciculations in the past 2 weeks down my left leg and through my urethra. Unsure if related. I appreciate your time and your feedback.
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